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Irish surname

Kelly: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Ceallaigh · 'descendant of Ceallach' (war, contention)

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Kelly, Kelly and Kelley as anglicised forms of Ó Ceallaigh, 'descendant of Ceallach' (war, contention), 'the name of several distinct families'. He lists nine as the best known, among them the chiefs of Ui Maine in Galway and Roscommon and the lords of Breagh in Meath and north Co. Dublin. Matheson ranked Kelly the second most common surname in Ireland in 1890, with an estimated 55,900 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Kelly surname
Irish formÓ Ceallaigh
Meaning'descendant of Ceallach' (war, contention)
CountiesGalway, Roscommon, Dublin, Mayo
Other spellings3

Origin of the Kelly name

Woulfe lists nine Ó Ceallaigh families as 'the best known': (1) Ui Maine, chiefs in Galway and Roscommon 'down to the reign of Elizabeth'; (2) Breagh, lords in Meath and north Co. Dublin; (3) Cinel Eachach, Loughinsholin, Co. Derry; (4–6) Leighe, Magh Druchtain and Gallen, 'all three in Leix'; (7) Ui Teigh, north Co. Wicklow; (8) Árd Ó gCeallaigh, Co. Sligo; (9) Corca Laoighdhe, south-west Co. Cork.[1]

  1. 1014 (Woulfe)Tadhg Mór Ó Ceallaigh fell at Clontarf (Woulfe 1014; Four Masters enter it under 1013).[1][9]
  2. 1292Four Masters: 'Congalagh O'Kelly, Lord of Bregia, died.' Woulfe: Conghalach, last lord of Breagh, died 1292.[1][10]
  3. 1351Four Masters: William O'Kelly gave a Christmas invitation to the learned of Ireland.[11]
  4. 1353Four Masters: Kilconnell friary founded by William O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many.[12]
  5. 1690'O KELLY' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[8]
  6. 18901,242 birth entries including spelling varieties (1,238 spelled Kelly).[4][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayÓ Ceallaigh of Ui Maine ruled territory in Galway and Roscommon; Kelly chiefly found in Galway in 1890.[1][4]
Co. RoscommonPart of the Ui Maine territory; among counties where Kelly was chiefly found in 1890.[1][4]
Co. DublinÓ Ceallaigh of Breagh held Meath and north Co. Dublin; first county named for Kelly in 1890.[1][4]
Co. MayoAmong the counties where Kelly was chiefly found in 1890.[4]
Co. CorkÓ Ceallaigh of Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork; among the counties where Kelly was chiefly found in 1890.[1][4]
Co. DerryÓ Ceallaigh of Cinel Eachach, barony of Loughinsholin, 'where they are still numerous' (Woulfe).[1]

Notable people named Kelly

Tadhg Mór Ó Ceallaighd. 1014 (Woulfe)Woulfe: an Ui Maine chief who 'fell at Clontarf in 1014'. Four Masters (under 1013): 'Tadhg Ua Ceallaigh, lord of Ui Maine' slain.[1][9]
Hugh Kelly1739–1777Dramatist born at Killarney; Garrick staged his first comedy, False Delicacy, 'which had great success' (Webb).[13]
Michael Kellyc. 1764–1826Dublin-born tenor; Webb says Mozart wrote for him the part of Basilio in Figaro.[14]

Other spellings

O'Kelly · Kelley · M'Kelly[1]

The Kelly coat of arms

'O KELLY' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Kelly is entitled to a coat of arms.[8]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Kelly surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Kelly crest gifts

Clan Kelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap VE29 Kelly Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Kelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Okelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap EY74 Okelly Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Okelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Okelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBQ66 Classic Cap - Okelly Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Okelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Kelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBW63 Classic Cap - Kelly Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Kelly Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Kelly surname: questions

What does the surname Kelly mean?

Woulfe gives Kelly as a form of Ó Ceallaigh, 'descendant of Ceallach', a personal name he glosses as 'war, contention'.[1]

Is Kelly an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists O'Kelly, Kelly and Kelley as anglicised forms of Ó Ceallaigh. He also gives Kelly as a form of other Irish surnames, such as Mac Ceallaigh and Mac Giolla Cheallaigh, so not every Kelly descends from one family.[1][2][3]

Where in Ireland is the Kelly name from?

Woulfe lists nine Ó Ceallaigh families as the best known, among them those of Ui Maine (Galway and Roscommon) and Breagh (Meath and north Co. Dublin). In 1890 Kelly was 'found in every County in Ireland—chiefly, however, in Dublin, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, and Cork' (Matheson).[1][4]

How common is Kelly in Ireland?

Matheson's table from the 1890 births index puts Kelly second only to Murphy, with an estimated 55,900 people.[5]

Is Kelly also a Manx name?

Woulfe says Mac Ceallaigh 'is also the name of the Kellys of the Isle of Man'.[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Ceallaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-ceallaigh.php
  2. Mac Ceallaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-ceallaigh.php
  3. Mac Giolla Cheallaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-cheallaigh.php
  4. Kelly — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/kelly.php
  5. One Hundred of the Principal Surnames in Ireland (1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  6. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  7. Kelly — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/988.php
  8. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1013 (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text012.html
  10. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1292 (part 13) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text013.html
  11. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1351 (part 18) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text018.html
  12. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1353 (part 19) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text019.html
  13. Hugh Kelly — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HughKelly.php
  14. Michael Kelly — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MichaelKelly.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).